


Death by Doublewide

by Sharking



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety, Child Abuse, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25577641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharking/pseuds/Sharking
Summary: Neil was trapped. Trapped in this town, trapped in this school, trapped in his trailer.Andrew knew all of this, he just didn't know how to help him.-Neil is quarantined with his abusive parents
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 55
Kudos: 200





	1. new kid in town

**Author's Note:**

> TW: mentions of child abuse and physical violence

It was March 12th. Neil was supposed to be temporary, he was supposed to move schools and lose ties with his "friends" from Palmetto. He was supposed to escape.

It was March 12th when everything went to shit.

-

Neil had arrived at Palmetto as an incoming sophomore. He was quiet and bland. 

Andrew wasn't an idiot. He knew the difference between someone boring and someone intentionally making themselves seem boring.

Neil had arrived and everyone's fascination clung to him. They were in the middle of South Carolina in a town that you couldn't find on a map unless you were looking for it. That lead everyone, Andrew reluctantly included, to wonder how Neil Josten made his way here.

But whether its intentional or not, boring is boring and quickly people's interests shifted. 

Andrew's had not.

-

Neil tried out for the Exy team. He was good according to Kevin which meant he was great. Andrew stayed apathetic in goal but when Neil took a swing he always blocked it.

The frustration in Neil's eyes flashed before being swallowed up by boredom. It was not as convincing as he thought.

The team latched onto Neil. They were all convinced that they could befriend him, they could make him like them all, they could get him to open up. Andrew seemed to be the only one to see they were talking to a shell of a boy. 

But Allison has the kind of persistence that so few have, Matt has the optimism of a child, Dan refused to give up no matter what, and Kevin... Kevin saw Neil for what he was. A blank canvas.

This deadly combination lead to team sleepovers. Team dinners. Roadtrips and Carnivals. It lead to Neil's first real smile (at the expense of Kevin who couldn't get past 700 at the highstriker). It lead to little, boring, bland Neil developing a personality. 

-

With the facade cracking Andrew came to a couple conclusions. 

The first was that Neil and his family were poor. Not the kind where you couldn't afford the newest iPhone or had to rely on the school for lunch; the kind where you ran to school everyday and wouldn't let anyone drive you home, the kind where your vertebrae poked through your shirt, the kind where you only had three shirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of shoes.

The kind where everyone pushed food at you but you were too proud to accept. 

The kind where the team had a sleepover almost every weekend when last season they'd only had one.

The kind where everyone knew and you knew that everyone knew.

So the first observation was not a very groundbreaking one.

The second was that Neil's parents were pieces of shit. 

Now Neil was very good at hiding this one.

He never left his phone (an old shitty Android) unattended. When he got a call he took it far away from the rest of the team. He changed after everyone and could walk like he didn't have a care in the world even though Andrew had seen a huge purple and black bruise on his side.

it had only been a flash, a second at most. Neil had shoved his shirt over his head and ran out of the locker room in a way that Andrew knew would ache and burn.

Neil avoided Andrew for a week after that 

-

Neil had been "sick" for a week.

Andrew was pretty sure that meant he'd been beaten to within an inch of his life and had to wait for the bruises to heal. Despite his uncaring image he was getting genuinely worried.

Luckily Andrew knew where they kept student files. He knew there were no cameras in that hall. Knew the security guard left for a smoke break during lunch that lasted at least 20 minutes.

He picked the lock, sifted through the filing cabinet, and pulled out the one labeled JOSTEN, NATHANIEL. There were no other Josten's but Neil hadn't told them his full name. Andrew had a hunch there was a reason. 

Andrew took a photo of the file and slipped it back in place.

He returned to the team's lunch table as if nothing had happened.

-

After practice that same day Andrew drove Nicky and Aaron home. When they asked why he wasn't coming in he said "things to do, people to see, it's none of your fucking business" and sped off.

It was an 18 minute drive according to his gps which meant Neil ran 45 minutes to school everyday. A Andrew's car rolled up the engine filled the quiet of the street. On either side were double-wides. Neil lived in a trailer park.

Andrew cut the engine and parked it on the main road. Andrew's shoes hit gravel and dirt as he approached his house.

It was on off white color. Dirtied with dust and pollen. A loud pounding music was coming from inside.

Andrew knocked on the door, not sure if it would be heard or not.

The door opened quickly and Neil's face poked out. There was a bruise covering half his face and his eyebrows pinched when he saw Andrew. 

The music was turned down and Neil's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. There was no facade here.

"Who is it.", The voice was loud and angry and Neil winced.

"Just one of Rodgers kids, i'm going out for a bit."

Neil stepped onto the wooden block that served as a front porch. It was cold, too cold for Neil's shorts and t-shirt. He smelled like shit and looked even worse.

He sat down on the edge of the block and played with the gravel. Andrew sat beside him.

"It'll be gone enough by Monday. I ran out of concealer."

Neil wasn't looking at Andrew.

"Let me teach you how to fight."

Blue whipped up to meet hazel.

"Are you crazy, i don't want to fucking die Andrew."

The boy was shaking, from the cold or something else Andrew didn't know.

"Let me get you out of here."

"Me and my mom," Andrew had only heard parents used, never anything this specific,"at the end of the semester shes gonna pull me and run. I can survive until then."

Andrew lingered his hand over Neil's, when he nodded he brought their hands together, "You shouldn't have to survive."

The door behind them opened and Neil yanked his hand away and pushed Andrew to the ground, "Get the fuck off of me freak."

Neil's dad was big. He had big shoulders, big eyebrows, big hands that were clenched into fists.

Neil stood shaking behind him and had an apology in his eyes.

Andrew pushed himself up and left, Neil's dad cursing him out all the way to his car.

-

When Neil got to school Monday Andrew slid a pale tube of concealer in his bag.

-

Corona Virus. A faraway concept. Something that shouldn't have made it to the little town in South Carolina but somehow did anyway. Uncle John, the man who owned the hardware store, spent weeks lying in the hospital two towns over. The town held its breath and the school closed its doors.

March 12th. Halfway through practice the assistant principal banged on the glass and told them they needed to clear out. Everyone groaned and complained. Even sweet Renee. This was her senior year. Her senior season.

Among the noises of disbelieve was a hitching of breath. Boring Neil was hyperventilating.

Matt slung an arm over his shoulder and Andrew saw the way he shrunk just a little bit. 

March 12th was the day Neil Josten was sentenced to death.


	2. Nathaniel Wesninski and all his truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Nathaniel ended up in the doublewide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of violence

Nathaniel Wesninski was a name that most anyone at Springhill High would be familiar with. He was "that one jock", "the guy with the red hair", or "that kid who always shows up with bruises and limps.". 

Whichever version a person had heard they were always getting a portion of the truth.

Nathaniel was a jock, he did have red hair, and he often arrived with bruises and limps; he also had a father who gambled away their money and a mother who promised she would get them out of this.

For a school year and a half Nathaniel lived like this. He was constantly on the brink. A breeze could push him over the edge and then he'd be the kid who couldn't afford clothes or food or textbooks. The Wesninskis walked the line between poverty and middle class with an heir of familiarity.

They'd stood above the precipice before. Their arms outstretched doing everything they can to maintain balance. The rope getting thinner and thinner.

Nathaniel learned to skip meals. He learned to run to school. He learned to keep to himself because friends meant going to the movies or the diner in town. It meant spending money he didn't have.

He'd lasted a year with his head down, that summer Nathaniel almost reached the end of the rope.

-

For 5 hours every day of the week Nathaniel worked as a dishwasher for a local club. He would scrub and scrub and scrub. The plates getting clean, his fingers getting shredded.

Drunk people weren't notorious for their cleanliness and Nathaniel spent too much time cleaning vomit off of things to defend their reputation.

It wasn't actually too bad, and if anyone asked Nathaniel he would say it was great.

-

Long before he and his family got kicked out and had to move to the middle of nowhere, Nathaniel met Andrew Minyard. 

"Met" is probably too strong a word but "saw him getting his dick sucked in the backroom of the club" was a little too wordy for him. 

-

After his shifts at the club, Nathaniel would walk three blocks down the street to Castle Motel where he cleaned rooms.

At this point his fingers were usually pruney and his eyes were tired and dry. 

Nathaniel did not understand why there were so many rooms in a motel that nobody seemed to stay in. He was half sure it was a front for something. His father had gotten him the job and that alone was reason to be suspicious.

When all the vacant rooms were clean and the sun was just about to come up Nathaniel made his way home. 

-

One night, he'd stumbled home at around 4 in the morning. Tired tired tired. Hurting to his core and wondering how much longer he could do this. Three hours later he woke up, realizing he'd have to do this just a little while longer.

People in school wanted to be his friend, Nathaniel couldn't understand why. He was perfectly content to run himself into the ground so long as he maintained the balancing act.

He gave all his paychecks from the motel to his dad and hid the ones from the club until he could deposit them. 

He almost had three thousand dollars saved up. At this rate he could make it to eighteen. He could make his own way in the world. He could get off this rope.

And maybe he would have, if his father hadn't cut the rope and sent them plummeting to the bottom of the canyon.

-

Nathaniel's father was a gambler. He bet on fights and occasionally would throw his son into the cage too. Everything was going fine, he won some, lost others and made sure his family was provided for.

But the general public didn't seem to keen to ignore the boy with a fat lip. He'd been called into the office a few times to explain his son's appearance and he really lost his shit when someone called cps. 

By some miracle they passed the home inspection. Things were finally starting to go his way, if his son got a little roughed up in the process it would simply serve to toughen him up. The boy could use it.

Nathaniel arrived at school the day after the inspection only hurting where wandering eyes couldn't see.

But what Nathan couldn't see was just as the tide rises, it falls. Always always always.

-

Nathaniel came home to his mom sobbing. He had never heard her cry before. Even when his dad's rage spilled out of him. Not when he was hit. Not when she was hit. Not when he screamed and spat in their faces.

Now though, now she sat in her bedroom gasping for breath and bumbling incoherently. 

Nathaniel didn't know what to do.

When she saw him lingering in the doorway she ran up to him. Her breathing came heavy and stuttered, "Pack your things. We have to move out."

"What happened? Whats going on?"

"We have to go, quickly."

He and his mother had discussed this. In the dead of night when it was just them and the hum of the refrigerator. She had an escape plan. It wasn't supposed to happen until Nathaniel finished his sophomore year though. He didn't understand.

"Nathaniel.", His mother now had rage alongside her tears. Nathaniel did not feel like testing it.

He grabbed his duffel and filled it with a few types of each item. Barely remembering to pack any socks. 

They stayed in hyperventilated silence. In and out. Quick quick quick.

Into the car, onto the road, and into the parking lot of a motel 20 minutes away.

When they pulled into a parking space they both sat their for what felt like years. The engine ran and filled the car with a low noise. Nathaniel was content to sit. His body needed to rest and he'd take it in any form at this point. This stillness was unusual. They sat for another few minutes before she cut the engine and turned to Nathaniel,

"Your father's in some trouble, we'll be staying here a while."

-

A while turned out to be a week and a half. Nathaniel weirdly felt like he was betraying the Castle by staying here but the sheets were much nicer. Or maybe the cleaning staff didn't run on two hours of sleep every night. Either way everything felt soft and safe. 

His dad came to the motel on day 11 and threw a key at each of them, "Got us a place."

This place turned out to be down a gravel pathway and covered in grime. It had three rooms and a small kitchen. There were two bedrooms and a bath. On one side of the small building Nathaniel's room sat next to the bathroom and every flush sounded like a downpour. On the opposite side of the double wide was his parents room. 

He never went in.

His dad usually fell asleep on the recliner in the small living room area so Nathaniel didn't leave his room much at all.

In this place you would always be within arms distance. Someone was always close enough to hit you over the head or slap you in the face. Leaving his room felt like walking into a bear trap. 

Nathaniel was just waiting for it to snap shut. 


	3. Andrew's gay panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew's whole thing is how he has a cool and dangerous aura. He was pretty certain he'd juts blown it all because of a pretty boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some swearing int his one, it's a lot of Andrew's internal thoughts and stuff

Nathaniel couldn't afford a lot of things. He couldn't afford both shampoo and deodorant so he had to pick one. He couldn't afford to upgrade his phone. he couldn't afford team dinner at anything other than McDonalds (dollar menu only). He couldn't afford the protein rich diet Kevin kept pushing at him. He couldn't afford the bus fair. He couldn't afford a new shirt. He couldn't afford anyone finding out just how bad it had gotten. 

Wymack knew. He'd known since the start of the year. The athletic fee for any sport is $100. Nathaniel sure as shit couldn't afford that.

He'd shuffled into an office Wymack shared with the other history teachers. He'd kept his eyes on the man's hands, trying so hard to ignore how tall and big and strong and dangerous-

"Can I help you?"

Nathaniel stumbled through an explanation. Just vague enough to not be concerning but with enough sincerity that Wymack wouldn't think he was just a kid looking to save a little scratch.

The coach's face was neutral when Nathaniel looked back up. He hoped he hadn't been rambling.

"I'll talk to your counselor, what's your name boy?"

"Nathaniel Wesninski," he paused, peeled at the cuticle of his fingers for a second before continuing, "I prefer Neil."

"Well Neil, i'll be seeing you at tryouts then. Go, or you'll be late to class kid."

-

That had been his first time. He'd never dared to go by a nickname. If his dad found out he'd be unreasonably furious. This would most likely lead to Neil showing up to school the next day with an unreasonable amount of concealer on.

The first time, as it turned out, was the hardest. 

It started to slip out naturally. Name game's went from stilted to confident. Introductions to teachers were spent practicing acting meek and boring. Neil felt like a real person. He felt like a person no one knew yet. He could mold the narrative however he wanted.

He could be from a minimalist middle class family.

He could be from a granola, sustainability, birkenstocks rich family.

He could be whoever he wanted and no one would know otherwise.

Except for Andrew.

Andrew knew. Somehow it still felt like he didn't know at all. Probably because he acted like Neil went just a blip on his overcrowded radar. Neil had moments he thought maybe that's how Andrew really felt, but then he remembered the concealer.

He'd kept the empty bottle under his pins and needles mattress.

-

The school gave every student a laptop. It wasn't anything too high tech or fancy. They said it was to level the playing field. Neil felt like he was 6ft under the ground, with or without a computer.

It was nice though. Made him feel like this "real boy" act wasn't an act at all. But he couldn't keep the mask on forever. He kept the computer at school though, certain it would only end up on the wrong side of one of his father's bets.

Neil couldn't afford the extra insurance the school offered but was certain he needed it. He'd never held something worth this much before. Except for when Nicky had asked Neil to take a photo of him, Matt, and Dan. Allison had told him he was holding almost $600 dollars and took the phone gently from his shaking hands without a word to the others.

Neil was immensely grateful and discreetly added Allison to the list of people who knew.

Allison, Andrew, and Wymack.

This was manageable

-

The only thing Andrew asked of him, in exchange for keeping his secret, was letting him drive him home on days where Neil might not survive the trip. 

It had started with refusal after refusal. Never in words though, Andrew would wait in his truck while Aaron and Nicky complained. Andrew would watch Neil as he left the locker room, always the last one to leave. 

Upon his exit he would either make his way to the car or start on his way home. This system had never been a problem before. 

Andrew respected whatever answer he gave and shut his family up when Neil would accept.

He'd always take them home first before dropping him off, two blocks away from his house. A place where his loud engine wouldn't reach the ears of abusive fathers or neglectful mothers. It was these little things, the kind no one else would even think of, that hurt. It hurt to be known.

Only once had Neil's rejection been overruled.

It was the same as it always was, The boys would meander out of the locker room and once the last person was done with their shower Neil would slip in. No one ever said anything but Neil could feel their eyes on him. They knew something about him was different, wrong, weird.

It was the one action he'd allowed himself to have from the start. The discomfort of drawing attention was outweighed by the need to hide things that would pull him into the spotlight. His scars, his bruises, his ghastly body would only make people worry.

So he showered last.

And on this day Andrew had watched snow fall outside his history class window, had watched Aaron slip on the ice on their way to the front door, had seen Neil's limp. 

Neil left the locker room without so much as a glance at the big sleek truck in the parking lot. There was a layer of snow an inch high resting on top and it was only going to get colder.

Andrew got out of the car.

"Freckles!"

It had been a stupid nickname that Renee had teased him endlessly for. He couldn'tt seem to shake it.

Neil froze where he stood. Head shoved low and hoodie pulled up.

"Get in the car idiot. If you get frostbite Kevin will kill you."

He started walking towards the truck and the snow blew sideways. Andrew had the stupid thought of buying Neil a coat for Christmas.

"A neighbor saw you drop me off last time. You'll have to let me go earlier."

"I can make that happen, now get in the car."

And he did.

-

Giving Neil rides now became a semi-regular thing. Once every two weeks or so Andrew would send Nicky to the backseat. There were always complaints at the time but never any follow through.

Andrew had overheard them talking about the boy when they'd thought he'd gone to bed one night.

Aaron's voice was softer than Andrew liked, "I wish he'd let us help him. He barely even let's Andrew help."

"He's helping Andrew too," and Andrew wished Nicky didn't sound so heart wrenchingly sad. He couldn't listen to it anymore and left his perch on the stairs. Enough snooping for the day.

-

March 12th. It had been about a week and a half since he'd last given Neil a ride. As soon as the team had been ordered to shut everything down and head home he knew the car would seat four.

Andrew waited in the locker room while a single shower ran. He could hear the uneven sound as water must have hit Neil's arms or ran down his legs. Now was not the time so Andrew let his mind to other, safer things.

Neil poked his head out of the shower stall and checked for another person, he startled a little bit when he saw Andrew before ducking back inside. He wondered whether the little mystery checked for people every time. If he lived on edge like this.

"Either throw my clothes over the curtain or leave."

Andrew groaned like he was middle aged and sat up like he was leaving a recliner. He was tired and felt terribly middle aged. His body shouldn't hurt this much.

Next to Neil's duffel bag was a stack of clothes, "Jeans and a grey top?"

"Yup."

Andrew grabbed them and stalked towards the stall he'd seen a flash of blue and red emerge from before.

"Over the top?"

Neil stuck out a hand and a sense of deja vu struck him. He couldn't place it and as Neil got dressed Andrew racked his mind. This would truly drive him mad if he couldn't remember.

With a little cough Neil appeared beside him, clothed and a little damp.

"Andrew?"

"Yeah."

"My computer's in my locker, if we don't come back to school i..."

He trailed off but Andrew knew what he meant. Neil's phone was shitty, he could only assume modern technology was not a big part of the household.

"We'll find a security guard or a teacher."

Andrew headed for the exit and Neil scrambled to pack everything in his duffle and catch up.

As it turned out, the team was not the only group to receive the message. The school looked deserted and through the ling and winding hallways there was not another living person. Just Andrew and Neil.

God Andrew did not feel emotionally prepared to be alone with Neil.

"Well where's your locker?"

Andrew's plan involved kicking and/or prying the door open. he was on his third kick when his phone rang, Aaron.

He declined.

Neil's phone rang moments later and Andrew saw panic flash in his eyes and in his brow. It lasted only a moment before the redhead showed the phone to Andrew, it read: Thing Two. 

He picked up and Andrew resumed his kicking. 

"Sorry, we're just trying to get into my locker. . . My computer's in there . . . Because i didn't think i would need it . . . Andrew, how long until we'll be to the car?"

"15."

Neil relayed this to "Thing Two" who promptly yelled into the phone that if they were fucking they needed a better cover story and hung up. Neil burned crimson.

With a final kick the hing broke and the door swung open. it was a small miracle the school couldn't afford slightly better lockers.

Neil grabbed his computer and did the cutest little sigh of relief Andrew had ever seen. God he was pathetic. And then he remembered- 

"Addam's family."

"What?"

Andrew felt like he was quite possibly the stupidest person on Earth.

"Earlier, you stuck your hand out of the stall, it reminded me of something. I couldn't remember what until now."

"So it reminded you of Addam's Family?"

He sounded confused. He sounded like he was talking to some nut job. He sounded like he didn't know what the hell Andrew was talking about.

"Yeah, if you don't know what that is don't let Nicky know. It's his favorite."

"Okay."

Jesus Christ. Andrew was cool. He was mysterious. He was scary to some and confusing to others. His whole thing was playing things cool and he'd blown it.

"Let's bounce."

Why even speak if he was going to sound like a dad? Andrew felt himself lose any "cool points" he had left. If it had been anyone else that may have been true. But the dreamy smile remained on Neil's face as he looked at Andrew.

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy! It's a little late due to personal stuff but i hope to get back on track soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone. I have been diagnosed with COVID-19. I have asthma and it’s really scary. So far I am asymptomatic but I don’t know how long that will last. I am scared but thought you deserved to know why I have not updated. ThNks for your support.

Edit: Insert the “I lived bitch” meme. I am now working on continuing this story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes so this is on hiatus

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed, ill be continuing this into a multichapter fic


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